tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1205802760807005692018-05-29T01:34:44.402-04:00we left the music behind and the dance carried onbrendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.comBlogger256125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-83316755065827792892012-06-25T10:30:00.001-04:002012-06-25T10:36:38.563-04:00its been awhile...lets see, since i last blogged, i...<br /><br />(finally) started dating ben (on new years day actually) and am blissfully happy/98% sure he is the man i will spend my life with.<br /><br />weaned off my antidepressant.<br /><br />got promoted at work and am now Team Manager, which is one step below Assistant Manager.<br /><br />found a roommate and we are looking at moving into an apartment sometime this fall.<br /><br />ive started going back to church.&nbsp; ben and i are going to xenos every monday and thursday night, or at least as often as our schedules allow :)&nbsp; i dont think ill ever rejoin the catholic church, but im exploring nondenominational christianity.&nbsp; ben is very strong in his faith and i want to learn more about something so important to him, and i find myself actually enjoying it.<br /><br />so its not a lot but theyre pretty major things and overall im pretty happy :)brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-89875518944036931452011-11-28T12:05:00.002-05:002011-11-28T12:09:47.994-05:00i want to visit paris, machu picchu, tokyo, turkey, patagonia, and antarctica.<br />i want a house to decorate. my master bedroom will be swathed in white and grey lace.<br />i want to have enough money to live comfortably and not worry about affording the things i want...which are mostly books.<br />i want to spend my afternoons reading and drinking tea, with my cats curled up next to me.<br />i want to knit a blanket, and actually finish it.<br />i want to have a job that i actually enjoy, with higher-ups who actually give a damn about their employees.<br />i want to be able to travel around the country and visit all my friends.<br /><br />i want to be happy again.brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-43321866384196081992011-11-27T22:13:00.001-05:002011-11-27T22:13:19.009-05:00from tumblr<span class="title">Clashing Sorrows</span> <span class="entrytext"><p><em>I never dared to say these words</em></p> <p><em>I don’t think I’m that brave</em></p> <p><em>I don’t know if they will be heard</em></p> <p><em>I don’t know if they will be felt back</em></p> <p><em>When you talked to me with words</em></p> <p><em>I talked back to you with feelings</em></p> <p><em>Words functioned by feelings</em></p> <p><em>My weakness has been revealed</em></p> <p><em>Why do I care? Why should I care?</em></p> <p><em>When I haven’t even seen your face</em></p> <p><em>Lightening up, looking right at me</em></p> <p><em>Looking right through my soul</em></p> <p><em>Right into my eyes as they sparkle</em></p> <p><em>Sparkling with the sight of you</em></p> <p><em>Get out of my dreams</em></p> <p><em>If you ever loved me</em></p> <p><em>Would you hold me?</em></p> <p><em>Just to reassure me of my feelings</em></p> <p><em>That my feelings have a meaning</em></p> <p><em>That my heart has finally chosen</em></p> <p><em>The one I’d gladly call ‘love of my life’</em></p> <p><em>Is it you?</em></p> <p><em>Has it always been you?</em></p> <p><em>For this image of you</em></p> <p><em>Will stay with me</em></p> <p><em>For as long as I can remember</em></p> <p><em>Before I grow too old to lose</em></p> <p><em>All the memories of you</em></p> <p><em>All the dreams I’ve built</em></p> <p><em>All the hopes of finally holding your hands</em></p> <p><em>Just as I’ve always dreamed of</em></p> <p><em>Feelings won’t be vanished into thin air</em></p> <p><em>Until the very last breath I’d be wasting </em></p> <p><em>Until the last heart beat</em></p> <p><strong><em>-Submitted by <a href="http://still-dreaming-out-loud.tumblr.com/">still-dreaming-out-loud</a></em></strong></p></span>brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-53780613959008929232011-10-14T01:05:00.003-04:002011-10-14T01:08:24.298-04:00all i wantis to be in your arms right now, feeling your breath on my neck as you say, "i want to be with you."brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-49433130248947726932011-10-02T12:18:00.001-04:002011-10-02T12:18:55.964-04:00did you know?Did you know that grace flows through<br />your veins riding on the back of droplets<br />of blood and that when a cut<br />accidentally finds its way to your<br />skin it jumps off and clings<br />to any and everything inside you.<br />It fights like you fight and stays<br />inside you at all times. <br />Did you know I want to be the fabric<br />I want to be the dress<br />I want to be whatever you wear<br />to cover up your naked flesh?<br />I want to be the sound of your<br />heart beating and the smell<br />of rain as it drips down the small<br />of your back.<br />Did you know that you are the most<br />beautiful thing I have ever touched?<br />Ever traced and studied and calmed<br />and held in my hands?<br />Did you know that I dream of you<br />and even before I’ve had dreams<br />inside those dreams and even still<br />even then you’re the star and the<br />light that guides me through the<br />darkness that surrounds my sleeping body. <br />Did you know that if I died and came<br />back one hundred different times, one of those<br />times I would beg my karma to come back<br />as the sound your lips make as they<br />transition effortlessly between<br />I and Love when you whisper I love you.<br />One life I’d want to come back as nothing<br />but the breath that stirs inside you<br />and one life, if given the chance to<br />choose I’d be the sea and pray<br />that that time around you found<br />yourself a ship made of stronger stuff<br />than I am made of so you could float atop<br />me. Or perhaps that simple and perfect time<br />around, a mermaid so you called me home.<br />Did you know I’m not willing to get used<br />to the sensation of missing you? I refuse<br />to become numb on the occasion of your absence<br />and I will never grow familiar with the<br />taste of my own lips when not flavored<br />with the sweetness of yours.<br />Did you know that until the day came<br />when I met you and your eyes caught<br />my eyes and my life became yours<br />I never had a single, solitary fear.<br />I do not mean I was immune to nerves or the<br />scattered breath that accompanied<br />some small anxiety, but fear. I am now<br />without pride or ego, terrified of living<br />without you. Death, come when you will<br />say what you wish and hold my hand when it is<br />time, but life, please don’t make me know<br />the bitter and beautiful agony of understanding<br />how to walk through a day without you.<br />Did you know that I know you?<br />More than you know yourself and without<br />doubt more than any single other body has<br />ever known any single other body in the history<br />of this world or any other. I know<br />before you know when your heart reaches out<br />and I know without you requiring the assistance<br />of a glance or graze when you are scared<br />or lonely or tired or hungry or angry or worried<br />or blinded by absolute excitement.<br />Did you know I am yours?<br />Did you know that I will always be yours?<br />Did you know that I have waited my entire life<br />to have you be mine?<br />Did you?<br /><br /><a href="http://tylerknott.com/" target="_blank">-Tyler Knott Gregson-</a>brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-55044930520066930942011-09-26T00:49:00.002-04:002011-09-26T00:51:35.317-04:00things that i feel i am able to successfully deal with and handle during the day come to haunt me at night. im alone and lonely and have nobody to cuddle with and the one person i DO want to cuddle with, i know theres no chance. im so tired of my own thoughts attacking me at night.<br /><br /><br />also, forgetting to take your antidepressants 3 nights in a row doesnt help a whole lot either.brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-41901107858472315852011-08-24T22:58:00.001-04:002011-08-24T22:59:24.863-04:00from now oni will pay more attention to my brothers opinion on guys i bring home. because 9.99 times out of 10, hes been pretty damn spot-on.
<br />brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-52522141984930324952011-06-10T23:16:00.001-04:002011-06-10T23:18:12.272-04:00the rede (an it harm none)<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZQiDrD7L5k">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZQiDrD7L5k</a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Verdana, Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">I've been blessed with many lovers and I'd grant the same you<br />Though I suppose I'd skip a broken heart or two<br />I confess that I am troubled by that pious vocal few<br />When they cross the line and tell us what to do<br /><br />Ah But life's too short for all this worry - I offer myself to you whole<br />Life's too long for lies to carry any more weight in this world<br /><br />And it harm none, do what ye will<br />As the circle has bound us, bound we are still<br />Though the bottle be empty, may the cup remain filled<br />And it harm none, do what ye will<br /><br />I will call the four directions, I will cast a circle here<br />I will put my feet upon the holy ground<br />In the shadow there reflected I will find and face my fear<br />And we all know there is fear a'plenty round<br /><br />Ah But life's too short for all this worry - I offer myself to you whole<br />Life's too long for lies to carry any more weight in this world<br /><br />An it harm none, do what ye will<br />As the circle has bound us, bound we are still<br />Though the bottle be empty, may the cup remain filled<br />And it harm none, do what ye will<br /><br />Every act of love and pleasure is a prayer along the way<br />With everything between the living Earth and Sky<br />When it's all of life we treasure through the endless spinning days<br />In our actions you will know us by and by<br /><br />Ah But life's too short for all this worry - I offer myself to you whole<br />Life's too long for lies to carry any more weight in this world<br /><br />And it harm none, do what ye will<br />As the circle has bound us, bound we are still<br />Though the bottle be empty, may the cup remain filled<br />And it harm none, do what ye will</span></span>brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-14836136026766240242011-04-28T23:38:00.001-04:002011-04-28T23:38:49.605-04:00Snakecharmer<p> As the gods began one world, and man another,<br />So the snakecharmer begins a snaky sphere<br />With moon-eye, mouth-pipe. He pipes. Pipes green. Pipes water.</p><p> Pipes water green until green waters waver<br />With reedy lengths and necks and undulatings.<br />And as his notes twine green, the green river</p><p> Shapes its images around his songs.<br />He pipes a place to stand on, but no rocks,<br />No floor: a wave of flickering grass tongues</p><p> Supports his foot. He pipes a world of snakes,<br />Of sways and coilings, from the snake-rooted bottom<br />Of his mind. And now nothing but snakes</p><p> Is visible. The snake-scales have become<br />Leaf, become eyelid; snake-bodies, bough, breast<br />Of tree and human. And he within this snakedom</p><p> Rules the writhings which make manifest<br />His snakehood and his might with pliant tunes<br /> From his thin pipe. Out of this green nest</p><p> As out of Eden's navel twist the lines<br />Of snaky generations: let there be snakes!<br />And snakes there were, are, will be--till yawns</p><p> Consume this piper and he tires of music<br />And pipes the world back to the simple fabric<br />Of snake-warp, snake-weft. Pipes the cloth of snakes</p><p> To a melting of green waters, till no snake<br />Shows its head, and those green waters back to<br />Water, to green, to nothing like a snake.<br />Puts up his pipe, and lids his moony eye.<br /></p><p>~ Sylvia Plath<br /></p>brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-31784855357006414042011-04-20T11:24:00.000-04:002011-04-20T11:25:20.506-04:00crack dreamso i was at an atm and this guy comes up behind me and pulls me to the ground. im screaming and telling him he can take my money just let me go and he says its not your money i want so then i start screaming because hes gonna rape me and luckily a cop pulls up and the guy runs. i go home crying and mom says she has a surprise for me to cheer me up. she takes me to go meet nsync, and i mustve met them before because they all recognize me. in this dream nsync consists of justin lance jc and a girl who looks like a cross between britney spears and topanga from boy meets world. i go say hi to the girl first and she gives me a hug and she must be psychic or something because she knows what happened at the atm and gives me a super long hug and tells me everything is okay. so then im at some fancy hotel where someone is hosting a prom for all the exchange students who were on the trip i chaperoned. i put on a random yellow dress and people start calling me belle. then i realize i have no money for a ticket so i go back to the atm and the same guy is there and he starts chasing me and luckily another cop is there. so i run back to the hotel all upset and i run into rupert grint in the hallway. i guess the harry potter cast is all vacationing together and staying at this hotel lol. so i run into him and im so upset i just fling myself at him and cry and he holds me and comforts me and whatnot. so then we start kissing, and eventually he says we should go somewhere but i tell him we cant go back to my room because my roommate is there so we go back to his because he doesnt think anyone is in his room but daniel radcliffe is there watching tv and rupert tries to hint at him to leave but he doesnt get the hint so rupert and i just sit on the bed together.brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-88211678142889079512011-04-01T22:38:00.002-04:002011-04-01T22:43:47.888-04:00little pleasuresdark chocolate<br />listening to the rain as you fall asleep<br />a good book<br />a cup of tea<br />jeni's ylang ylang honeycomb ice cream<br />bellydancing whenever and wherever<br />a glass of wine<br />making a candle<br />finishing a scrapbook page<br />laying in bed on a lazy morning snuggled up in a fluffy white comforter<br />new jewelry<br />barnes&amp;noble<br />harry potter<br />traveling<br />painting your nails<br />new shoes<br />laughing with good friends<br />a purring cat asleep in your lap<br />long hot showers<br />rays of sunshine on your face<br />standing on the beach late at night with the wind whipping through your hair, watching a thunderstorm far out at seabrendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-75519862680294388102011-03-29T18:06:00.002-04:002011-03-29T18:43:22.515-04:00wanderlust<span class="hw">wan·der·lust</span> <span class="pron">(w<img src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/obreve.gif" align="absbottom" />n<img src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/prime.gif" align="absbottom" />d<img src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/schwa.gif" align="absbottom" />r-l<img src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/ubreve.gif" align="absbottom" />st<img src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/lprime.gif" align="absbottom" />)</span> n. A very strong or irresistible impulse to travel.<br /><br />for as long as i can remember, i have wanted to travel the world. unfortunately, i am very broke lol. so whenever a travel opportunity at little to no cost pops up, i jump at it.<br /><br />my friends parents have their own travel agency, and every year they do trips with rotary exchange students. last december i chaperoned the disney trip, and i just got back from chaperoning the eastern trip. we went to washington dc, manhattan, boston, hershey, and gettysburg. it was an amazing trip. it makes me wish i had known about the rotary exchange program in high school; seeing how much fun the kids have and the friendships they form makes me so jealous. yes i get to go on the trips, but being a chaperon is different than experiencing these trips as an exchange student. i would have loved to be an exchange student in high school. if my kids ever have the opportunity to do so, i will do everything in my power to ensure they can go. anyway.<br /><br />so now ive been bitten by the travel bug and im restless just sitting at home. luckily, i have at least 3 more trips planned for this year :) my parents are thinking of taking a family vacation and going to weeki wachee river in florida this summer. its on the gulf coast of florida. there are manatees that swim in the river, and from looking at pictures of the area it seems like it will be such a relaxing vacation. plus my aunt lives in orlando, so i think wed take our grandparents on vacation with us and all go visit her :) she has MS and its very hard for her to travel because of it, and my grandparents are getting older so its harder for them to travel too, so this would be a really good thing.<br /><br />my mom and grandma take a girls trip every year up to massachusetts/new hampshire to visit with family (my mom was born in MA) and this year i have been invited to go with them. i am SO EXCITED!! ive wanted to do this trip with them for years :)<br /><br />i am also chaperoning the disney trip again this december, and im so excited about it :)<br /><br />we are also talking about going up to vermont in may to visit our friend at grad school. for as often as ive been to new england, ive never been to vermont, so im excited about that :)<br /><br />also - and this is the most exciting thing - i will probably be going to france and england sometime in the next couple years! lizs dad wants to take her and her friends (which would be me, christine and jackie) on a trip because he did the same for her sister a few years ago. im not sure when its going to happen, but he is saying that it WILL happen. i seriously cried when he brought it up; paris is a dream of mine. and to be there with three of my bestest friends? amazing ♥brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-21562464299978417202011-03-07T12:25:00.000-05:002011-03-07T12:26:27.145-05:00well...mitch and i have decided to go ahead and get a divorce. well, dissolution really, if that makes any difference. weve decided its for the best; hes unhappy and im unhappy and he acknowledges that i deserve better, i deserve to be happy. and honestly, i think my parents were right (*cringes*) and that we got married too fast. i mean i really havent been single since i was 17; i was in a 2-yr relationship then a month after that ended i went into another 2.5-yr relationship and then a couple months after that ended i started dating mitch. so i honestly dont know who i am on my own, without the identity of being a married woman. so this is whats best for us. and its going to be amicable, neither of us has any animosity towards the other. we actually just sat down and talked about it and decided who would keep what furniture-wise and we decided what to do about finances. as for the cats, im going to keep them but theyre going to stay with him until i can find a place of my own; ill be moving in with my parents for awhile to be able to save up money and they already have 2 cats so i wouldnt be able to bring mine there. overall im feeling as good about this as i can, and i honestly think ill be okay. i mean yea it sucks balls, i still love him, but theres no point in fighting for something that only one person wants. and my friends aunt is an attorney and has offered to help me out at a deeply discounted rate so that helps. so...yea. thats the situation.brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-15786309596975225042011-02-13T22:48:00.002-05:002011-02-13T23:01:33.355-05:00rape culture and eminemplease tell me why anyone thinks eminem has any redeeming qualities anymore? there is nothing good about his music/message. he is a woman-hating mysoginist pig, and no that opinion does not mean i am a feminazi - it means i do NOT buy into the victim-blaming, slut-shaming rape culture we are living in. i mean really, look at these lyrics from "stay wide awake" and tell me how they are even a little bit okay<br /><br /><em>Fe Fi Fo Fum!<br />I think I smell the scent of a placenta<br />I enter Central Park it's dark, it's winter in December<br />I see my target, whip my car in Park and approach her tender<br />Young girl by the name of Brenda and I pretend to befriend her<br />Sit down beside her like a spider, Hi there girl you mighta<br />Heard of me before <strong>see whore you're the kinda girl that I'd a-<br />-ssault and rape and figure why not try to make your pussy widea<br />Fuck you with an umbrella and then open it up while the shits inside ya</strong><br />I'm the kinda guy that's mild but I might flip and get a little bit wilda<br />Impregnate a lesbian, yea now let's see ya have triplets and I'll di-<br />-sintegrate them babies, as soon as they out hoe, with formalde-<br />-hyde in cyanide girl, you can try and hide, you can try to scream louda</em><br /><br />...seriously? how is that is any way shape or form acceptable?!<br />not to mention at least for me, that shit is triggering as hell having my name in there. thank god i was never raped, but i WAS sexually abused. can you imagine how triggering this would be for someone who WAS raped? this is NOT OKAY. there is NOTHING okay with rape, rape jokes, rape culture, etc. but unfortunately thats what were living in - rape culture. a culture that makes rape jokes funny, that tell women its their fault for getting raped (you shouldntve been drinking so much, wearing such revealing clothing, etc) NO. victim-blaming is WRONG and there is no one to blame but the RAPIST. but unfortunately we live in a society that favors the rapist over the victim. it disgusts me.brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-83016973776648278042011-02-10T22:58:00.003-05:002011-02-10T23:09:00.759-05:00Mad Girl's Love Song<div align="center">I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;<br />I lift my lids and all is born again.<br />(I think I made you up inside my head.)<br /><br />The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,<br />And arbitrary blackness gallops in:<br />I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.<br /><br />I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed<br />And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.<br />(I think I made you up inside my head.)<br /><br />God topples from the sky, hell's fires fade:<br />Exit seraphim and Satan's men:<br />I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.<br /><br />I fancied you'd return the way you said,<br />But I grow old and I forget your name.<br />(I think I made you up inside my head.)<br /><br />I should have loved a thunderbird instead;<br />At least when spring comes they roar back again.<br />I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.<br />(I think I made you up inside my head.)"<br /><br />~Sylvia Plath<br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m1/blueflaming0/?action=view&amp;current=tumblr_lf2hmxOtRK1qbk6wgo1_500.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m1/blueflaming0/tumblr_lf2hmxOtRK1qbk6wgo1_500.jpg" /></a></div>brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-54702517422325718272011-01-28T00:41:00.000-05:002011-01-28T00:42:14.367-05:00march cant come fast enough!<div style="text-align: left;">NYC baby!!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0UjsXo9l6I8?rel=0" allowfullscreen="" width="480" frameborder="0" height="390"></iframe></div>brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-57440498183958491952011-01-19T21:57:00.001-05:002011-01-19T21:57:54.879-05:00run devil run<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">i am LOVING this song right now!!<br /></div><br /><object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/q_gfD3nvh-8?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/q_gfD3nvh-8?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="640"></embed></object></div>brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-4664190269464278492011-01-06T16:49:00.003-05:002011-01-06T17:00:57.730-05:00why i am boycotting Urban Active's Graceland locationit should not be a difficult thing to ensure your employees are properly informed. i called the gym the day after xmas to see if there was a bellydance class since its the holidays and was assured there was. well i got there and nope, no class. this is the second time this had happened to me and i was pissed. i sent this email:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">To Whom It May Concern:</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> I am an Urban Active member and regularly attend the Sunday belly dance classes at 4:00 PM. It being the day after Christmas, I called this morning to ensure there would still be a class. I was assured there would be. Upon arriving, I noticed a sign on the door of the group fitness room stating that there would be no classes today. The same thing happened to me on Sunday 10/31, Halloween. I called in the morning to see if there would still be a belly dance class that day and was told there would be but, again upon arriving, I saw a sign stating that afternoon classes were cancelled. I am upset about this because on both occasions I was assured there would be a class, went and drove all the way out to the gym only to find out I had been misinformed. This is a waste of both my time and my gas money. It should not be so hard to make sure your employees have the correct information regarding classes on any given day, so that that information can be relayed correctly to members such as myself. The disorganization and inefficiency shown on these two occasions is very unprofessional and I am very displeased.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Sincerely,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Brenda G.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Also, to ensure this doesn't happen again, if possible I would like the email address of the belly dance instructor, Kxxxxx Mxxxxx, so that in the future I can contact her directly.</span><br /><br />so, after almost two weeks without a response from them, i decided to call them. i just got off the phone with the manager and explained the situation and how i was very displeased and disappointed with the lack of organization and professionalism. first of all, he told me that he never received an email, which idk whether or not i believe him since i copy-pasted the email address from their website. although it is always possible that the email just randomly got lost in transit i guess. secondly, when i voiced my displeasure about how the employees did not have the correct information, he told me (in a rather snotty voice) that the holiday schedules were posted on the door to the group fitness room as well as the front door two weeks prior to xmas. now im calling bullshit on that, because i do NOT remember seeing anything like that UNTIL the day after xmas, when all this happened. general holiday hours maybe, but definitely not a class schedule. i told him that, and i also told him that if that really were the case and my memory was off, that there is even LESS of an excuse for the employees not to have the correct information. so then i asked him for the belly dance instructors email so i could contact her directly and he gave me the group fitness coordinators email, since she handles all that stuff. mind you i had to almost beg him for it; i asked if he had the email address and he said no the group fitness coordinator handles all the class instructors and would have the email address. i said well can i speak with her please and he said no she is not in today due to the weather (and mind you the "weather" is light snow with less than an inch of accumulation *rolls eyes*) so i said well okay is there any way i can leave her a message? and he finally gave me her email address. ugh. i said thank you and he said youre welcome very abruptly and hung up. no final apology, no "and again i am very sorry for your experience," nothing. i mean maybe im expecting too much, but if i were working and a customer called me with a reasonable complaint i would apologize profusely, do everything in my power to correct the mistake or make amends, and make sure that the last thing they heard before hanging up was another apology. but no. this guy, who is supposed to be a manager and a professional, sounded sarcastic and uninterested when apologizing and almost had an attitude of how dare i make a complaint and well it was my fault anyway for not seeing the supposed signs (which i swear to you were not there). again, i am highly disappointed and pissed off at this particular location and have no plans to ever visit again. thank god theres another location about the same distance from me lol. and luckily this problem location no longer offers bellydance, so i have no reason to go back. now i just REALLY hope the group fitness coordinator responds to my email!<br /><br />i considered asking for the corporate number and making a complaint about this rude-ass manager, but im just done with the whole thing.apart from getting the instructors email, i am beyond caring about any of this.brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-66714400551968436062010-12-31T10:04:00.002-05:002010-12-31T10:12:00.037-05:00should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind...heres what happened in 2010:<br />~ i took my first bellydance workshop with the amazing ariellah and became hooked<br />~ mitch was medically/honorably discharged from the army and we moved back home to OH<br />~ we celebrated out 2 year anniversary<br />~ i attended tribal revolution in chicago and not only got to take more workshops with ariellah, but also one with amy sigil of unmata<br />~ i finally got to chaperon a mcmurray trip, this one to disney world, and got to meet some amazing exchange students<br /><br />what im looking forward to in 2011:<br />~ chaperoning the eastern trip and going to boston, DC and NYC<br />~ attending tribal revolution again and meeting rachel brice (!!!)<br />~ celebrating our 3 year anniversary ♥<br />~ actually being able to celebrate christmas with my family and husband at them same time - heres hoping nobody gets bronchitis again! lolbrendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-9233047843857506822010-12-24T15:09:00.001-05:002010-12-24T15:09:51.855-05:00happy xmas eve!<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/t_KiHRHwaAs?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x5d1719&amp;color2=0xcd311b"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/t_KiHRHwaAs?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x5d1719&amp;color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object></div>brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-69673802331874867062010-12-21T23:15:00.001-05:002010-12-21T23:15:35.135-05:00;)<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/B8i0ypSqBxE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x234900&amp;color2=0x4e9e00"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/B8i0ypSqBxE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;color1=0x234900&amp;color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="480"></embed></object></div>brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-56574751843329187672010-12-21T08:56:00.001-05:002010-12-21T09:01:49.470-05:00blessed solstice!!Yule, (pronounced EWE-elle) is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half. Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day. Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, much celebration was to be had as the ancestors awaited the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth and made her to bear forth from seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb. Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were “wassailed” with toasts of spiced cider.<br /><br /> Children were escorted from house to house with gifts of clove spiked apples and oranges which were laid in baskets of evergreen boughs and wheat stalks dusted with flour. The apples and oranges represented the sun, the boughs were symbolic of immortality, the wheat stalks portrayed the harvest, and the flour was accomplishment of triumph, light, and life. Holly, mistletoe, and ivy not only decorated the outside, but also the inside of homes. It was to extend invitation to Nature Sprites to come and join the celebration. A sprig of Holly was kept near the door all year long as a constant invitation for good fortune to pay visit to the residents.<br /><br /> The ceremonial Yule log was the highlight of the festival. In accordance to tradition, the log must either have been harvested from the householder’s land, or given as a gift… it must never have been bought. Once dragged into the house and placed in the fireplace it was decorated in seasonal greenery, doused with cider or ale, and dusted with flour before set ablaze be a piece of last years log, (held onto for just this purpose). The log would burn throughout the night, then smolder for 12 days after before being ceremonially put out. Ash is the traditional wood of the Yule log. It is the sacred world tree of the Teutons, known as Yggdrasil. An herb of the Sun, Ash brings light into the hearth at the Solstice.<br /><br /> A different type of Yule log, and perhaps one more suitable for modern practitioners would be the type that is used as a base to hold three candles. Find a smaller branch of oak or pine, and flatten one side so it sets upright. Drill three holes in the top side to hold red, green, and white (season), green, gold, and black (the Sun God), or white, red, and black (the Great Goddess). Continue to decorate with greenery, red and gold bows, rosebuds, cloves, and dust with flour.<br /><br /><br /> Date: Dec. 20, 21, 22<br /> Type: Lesser Sabbat<br /> Etymology: The word “Yule,” is likely derived from an archaic Norse word “Jol,” meaning “a wheel.”<br /> Symbolism: Rebirth of the Sun, The longest night and shortest day of the year, The Winter Solstice, Introspect, Planning for the Future, death of the Holly King (Winter), reign of the Oak King (summer).<br /> Place in the Natural Cycle: Yule is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year. At this time the sun rises and sets at its most southerly point. After this day the sun will begin to appear farther North each day, and the days will begin to grow longer. On Yule the Sun is at its most southeastern point over the Tropic of Capricorn in the northern hemisphere and has no apparent northward or southward motion.<br /> Pagan Mythology: The dark time between Samhain and Yule draws to an end. We are half way through the weight of winter and celebrate the transition from death to life.<br /> Animals: reindeer, the stag, mouse, deer, horse, bear, wren/robin,<br /> Astral/Mythological Beings: Snow faeries, storm faeries, trolls, ugly chaos monsters, jule gnome, phoenix, winter tree faeries, yule elf.<br /> Altar Decor: Bells, holly, holly berries, ivy, mistletoe, oak, solar symbols, symbols of rebirth, candles, cinnamon sticks, fir or pine bows, fire, garlands, stars, wheel symbols, wreaths, Yule log, Yule tree.<br /> Herbs: Bay, bayberry, blessed thistle, bougainvillea, cinnamon, cedar, chamomile, frankincense, ginger, holly, ivy, laurel, mistletoe, moss, myrrh, nutmeg, pine cones, rosemary, sage, valerian, yarrow.<br /> Flowers: poinsettia, tropical flowers, dried flowers, mistletoe flowers.<br /> Trees: All evergreens. Cedar, fir, juniper, larch, oak, pine, spruce, yew.<br /> Celtic Tree Month: Elder (Ruis)<br /> Planetary ruler: Saturn<br /> Zodiac: Zero degrees Capricorn.<br /> Moon: Oak Moon, Snow Moon, Ice Moon, Wolf Moon, Cold Moon, Winter Moon. The full moon after Yule is considered to be the most powerful of the whole year.<br /> Traditional Foods: Apples, beans, caraway cakes soaked with cider, cookies, dried fruit, fruitcake, ginger bread, nuts, oranges, pears, pork, poultry, short bread, roasted turkey.<br /> Traditional Drinks: Cider, eggnog, ginger tea, hibiscus tea, mulled wine<br /> Incense: Apple Spice, bayberry, cedar, cinnamon, chamomile, frankincense, ginger, juniper, myrrh, nutmeg, pine, rosemary, saffron, sage, sandalwood, wintergreen.<br /> Tools: Candles, cauldron, chalice, bell, horned helmet, lantern, Yule log.<br /> Stones/Gems: Rubies, bloodstones, garnets, emeralds, diamonds.<br /> Goddesses: Brigid, Isis, Demeter, Gaea, Diana, The Great Mother.<br /> Gods: Apollo, Ra, Odin, Lugh, The Oak King, The Horned One, The Green Man<br /> Colors: Red, green, gold, white, silver.<br /> Threshold: dawn<br /> Taboos: Extinguishing Fires, and Traveling.<br /> Oils: Cedar, ginger, juniper, myrrh, nutmeg, pine, rosemary, saffron, wintergreen.<br /> Spellwork: Spells concerning renewal. Peace, new beginnings, harmony, love, happiness, prosperity spells.<br /> Meditations: Creative inspiration, death and re-birth, inner renewal, new life, light out of darkness, return of the Sun, the Mysteries, regeneration, reflection/introspection, transformation.<br /><br /><br /> Ways to Celebrate<br /><br /> - Gift-exchanging with friends and family.<br /> - Decorate Yule Tree<br /> - The feeding of creatures have been associated with Yuletide holidays for hundred of years in Europe. To continue this tradition feed our feathered friends as a family project. See who comes to visit your little sanctuary and identify them with a field guide, try stringing peanuts in the shell and popcorn garlands for the trees.<br /> - Tell stories.<br /> - Let your child stay up with you all night, and watch the Yule log burn. If your child (or you!) can’t make it all night long, wake up extra early and plan a dawn picnic in a park, or on a hill, or somewhere where you can watch the sun rise.<br /> - Make a wreath out of pine boughs that the family collects on a family outing. Put the wreath in a visible location, such as on the front door, on an inside wall, or in the center of the dining table.<br /> - When summer solstice arrives it may be burned in the fire.<br /> - Make or decorate a special red candle to light on Yule.<br /> - Make a Yule Log<br /> - Bake Sugar Sun Cookies.<br /> - Keep a candle lit throughout the night to encourage the Sun to keep it company. Make sure the candle is in a safe place where it can’t accidentally set your home ablaze.<br /> - Create a ritual of re-birth. Let it begin with all in darkness, and, throughout the ritual, light candles until you are surrounded by warmth and brightness.<br /> - Donate to food-banks, or give to a child toy charity.<br /> - Gather up Yule greens after 12th night and save. At Imbolc, burn the greens to banish winter and usher in spring.<br /> - Make offering to household and nature spirits during this cold time.<br /> - String popcorn and cranberries and hang them on an outdoor tree for the birds.<br /> - Hang little bells on the Yule Tree to call the spirits and fairies.<br /> - Make a Yule log. Drill three holes in it to hold three candles of white, red, and black. (Don’t let the candles burn down *into* the wood!)<br /><br />~from iheartpaganism<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photobucket.com/images/yule" target="_blank"><img src="http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo103/sisterwitch1692/yule.gif" alt="Yule Pictures, Images and Photos" border="0" /></a></div>brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-76666265428342560302010-12-06T21:34:00.001-05:002010-12-06T21:34:53.911-05:00in love with this song ♥<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8v_4O44sfjM?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8v_4O44sfjM?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="385" width="640"></embed></object></div>brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-65472383234770453972010-12-05T22:09:00.003-05:002010-12-05T22:17:56.769-05:00i have to ventfirst of all, i wanted to apologize for neglecting this blog in favor of tumblr lol. and as soon as tumblr stops being a douche i will post a link to mine :)<br /><br />okay now for the venting. CAN SHITTY THINGS PLEASE STOP HAPPENING TO MY FRIENDS?!?!? i mean SERIOUSLY, enough is enough!! i am still an active member on <a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" href="http://militaryissuedlove.net/">http://militaryissuedlove.net/</a> and i have many dear friends on there who mean the world to me. but lately it seems like everything that can go wrong for us, is going wrong!! in the last 2 weeks, AT LEAST 5 of us have had serious relationship problems! including one of the most amazing girls i have ever had the pleasure of knowing, finding out her husband is a cheating douchebag! it was seriously like one person posted about relationship problems, and then like every single day for a week someone else was posting about bad shit! i liked it a lot better when the trend was posting about having had a baby. seriously, like 10 girls all had their babies within a 3-month timespan :lol:<br />and now come to find out one of the girls has just lost her sixth - yes, sixth - baby. my heart is absolutely breaking for her and her husband. there are so many women on that board who would make amazing, wonderful, beautiful mothers and yet they struggle with infertility. its hearbreaking, and it is so unbelieveably unfair.<br />idk what the ladies of MIL.net have done to piss off the universe, but HEY UNIVERSE, BACK THE FUCK OFF!!brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120580276080700569.post-17760449421544943112010-12-04T15:01:00.001-05:002010-12-04T15:01:47.855-05:00i want this.<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/bgaver/?action=view&amp;current=tumblr_lalmsoOOaV1qa9z1bo1_500.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/bgaver/tumblr_lalmsoOOaV1qa9z1bo1_500.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></div>brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04766227993398962422noreply@blogger.com0